A bite-sized preview to get you ready for Australian Open 2018, for those who need to know, and fast!
1. Simona Halep: After two quarterfinals in ’14 and ’15, Halep hasn’t made it past the first round in two years. Which Simona will we see this year?
2. Garbine Muguruza: At 24-years-old, the 2017 WTA Player of the Year already has Grand Slam pedigree. It’s just a matter of time before she puts it all together in Melbourne.
3. Caroline Wozniacki: With a Grand Slam, Wozniacki can elevate her legacy into the same group as Sharapova, Kerber and Azarenka. Right now she’s a notch below.
4. Karolina Pliskova: Tough end to the year muddied an otherwise great season. QF, SF, 2R, QF at majors speaks to KP's incredible consistency on the big stage.
5. Venus Williams: It's hard to believe Venus has never won the Australian Open. Seems to have the wood over all the top women not named Serena.
6. Elina Svitolina: Historically, Svitolina has found things tough in Australia. But that won’t last - the Ukrainian is too good.
7. Jelena Ostapenko: How much did she work on her serve in the off-season? Once that's cleaned up a Grand Slam in Australia is a real possibility.
8. Caroline Garcia: Finished the season like a woman possessed, even carrying her red-hot form into the WTA Finals. To date has disappointed in majors.
9. Johanna Konta: Has only played in two Australian Opens and they were both very successful campaigns. No reason for that to change.
10. CoCo Vandeweghe: Struggles with lower-level tournaments but comes alive on the big stage. When CoCo is locked in it’s a headache, nay, a migraine for the opponent.
11. Kristina Mladenovic: One of the most interesting players in the draw because we’ll discover the story behind last year’s nightmare run - was it injury or form?
12. Sloane Stephens: Another very interesting subplot in the WTA. Was Sloane’s US Open triumph a flash-in-the-pan or a sign of future dominance?
13. Julia Goerges: Goerges has never been a threat at majors but she goes into AO2018 with two straight titles in Moscow and Zhuhai. Underestimate at your peril.
14. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova: Pav’s brutal off-season led to the best AO of her career. Needs to tighten up the defensive side of her game to get to the next level.
15. Anastasija Sevastova: Just a notch below the first or second- tier of women, but still not to be taken lightly - as Maria Sharapova learned in New York this year.
16. Ash Barty: Australia’s best shot at a hometown hero since peak Stosur. Sam could never handle the added pressure; Ash is a wait-and-see …
17. Elena Vesnina: Has made it past the final 16 in a Grand Slam singles event once in 47 tries. A threat she is not.
18. Madison Keys: Shouldn’t be ranked this low but that’s the nature of constant injuries. Keys has world No.1 potential, just needs a good run at it. Still only 22!
19. Magdalena Rybarikova: Struggled mightily in Australia. Anything past the second round would be a success.
20. Angie Kerber: Her performance in Jan will speak volumes. Kerber relies heavily on athleticism; if that’s non-existent then you have to start pressing the panic button.
21. Serena Williams: It’s a testament to Serena’s GOATness that she is the favourite to win despite not playing any tennis in almost a year. We are not worthy.
22. Barbora Strycova: Reaching the quarterfinals would be a great reward for what’s been a solid three-year stretch of decent AO campaigns.
23. Daria Kasatkina: Kasatkina is probably the best prospect coming out of Russia since Sharapova in ‘04; such is her talent and aggressiveness. This season’s ‘Penko?
24. Daria Gavrilova:Dasha gets better as the stage gets bigger.
25. Dominika Cibulkova: The former AO finalist had a borderline nightmare 2017 season but it would be premature to say she’s cooked. If healthy, Domi is good for the quarters.
26. Peng Shuai: Save for a couple of round four runs, Peng has mostly struggled in Melbourne. Why would 2018 be any different?
27. Agnieszka Radwanska: With injuries, a form slump and a wedding in July, 2017 was a write off for Aga. Way, way too good to be seeded this low.
28. Petra Kvitova: A Fantasy Tennis League favourite this year, people are starting to expect big things from Kvitova again. An AO title would be magical.
29. Lucia Safarova: Four years since Safarova has made it passed the 2R of the AO. Had patches of success in 2017 but nothing to suggest she will be any kind of threat in Melbourne.
30. Kiki Bertens: At somewhat of a crossroads - is Bertens just a journeywoman or could she be a late bloomer a la Jo Konta? 1-5 win-loss record at the Australian Open.
31. Mirjana Lucic-Baroni: If you look up ‘perseverance’ in the dictionary there is a photo of MLB’s Australian Open record. At 35-years-old, another SF will be tough to achieve - but not impossible.
32. Ekaterina Makarova: Nobody talks about it but Makarova has been really good in Melbourne. Despite being the last seed she is a borderline lock for the final 16.
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